U.S. sees CVID as 'nonnegotiable' approach in dealing with N.K. nuke issue

2018/04/02 15:08

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SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- A complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of the Korean Peninsula is what the U.S. government is pushing for, and that approach is "necessary" and "nonnegotiable" when it deals with the North Korea nuclear issue, the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea said Monday.

Marc Knapper emphasized that the U.S. is "hopeful but realistic" in its expectations for the upcoming summits with North Korea, citing more than two decades of failure in making the North give up its nuclear weapons.

"Let me be clear. There has been no shift in our policy. We are willing to engage with North Korea but our purpose of any meeting first and foremost will be to emphasize the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It is necessary and nonnegotiable," Knapper told a forum in Seoul.

His reaffirmation on the CVID approach comes as South Korea and the U.S. prepare for their respective summits with North Korea in April and May to discuss the nuclear issue with Pyongyang. South and North Korea announced earlier that their leaders will meet at the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27.